e-Citizen payment of fees can't work in Northeastern, says MP

Lagdera MP Abdikadir Hussein has praised the High Court for suspending payment of school fees via e-Citizen.

Justice Chacha Mwita gave the order following a petition filed by a Nakuru-based doctor Magare Gikenyi.

Hussein said Northeastern has network challenges hence the difficulty in using the platform.

“I will be the last person to support the payment of school fees through e-Citizen because I understand very well the challenges we face. The government arrived at this decision without proper consultations" he said.

“A huge population of our people is illiterate and will have a lot of challenges using the platform,”

Hussein said the move will kill schools that are accepting animals as school fees.

He said some of these schools have come up with income generating activities to help parents pay school fees.

Hussein spoke in Afweine when he distributed bursaries worth Sh76 million worth of bursaries to needy students.

The bursaries are expected to benefit 12,682 students in secondary schools, colleges, technical training institutes and universities.

The bursary programme is expected to not only to facilitate transition from primary to secondary but also increase secondary school enrollment.

A high enrollment will attract more capitation funding by government and employment of more teachers.

“As an MP I am in full support of the government's initiative to achieve 100 per cent transition to enhance access and retain students in school," Hussein said.

"It is for this reason that I want to urge parents to stop staying with their children at home due to lack of school fees. I also appeal to principals in Lagdera to ensure no learner is sent home for school fees."

On Friday, the MP handed a cheque to Garissa Teachers Training College to cater for fees for 60 students.

He said the move will help address shortage of teachers in the region.

Hussein urged learners to take advantage of removal of subject cluster combination and enroll to teaching colleges.

"I appeal to our young boys and girls who have finished Form 4 to enroll for teaching courses and be part of the homegrown solution. My office will continue to support those enrolling for this noble course,” he said.

The MP also handed over a new school bus to Modogashe Girls Secondary School which was purchased by the constituency kitty.